Interchangeable stone setting for ring tops and the like



June 21, I932. ca. PRUSSIAN 1,864,371

INTERCHANGEABLE STONE SETTING FOR RING TOPS AND THE LIKE Filed June 4.1927 INVENTOR Bass/0x 3w extensions of said opening,

Patented June 21, 1932 PATENT OFFICE GEORGE PRUSSIAN, OF NEWARK, NEWJERSEY INTERCEANGEABLE STONE SETTING- IEOB RING TOPS AND THE LIKEApplication filed June i, 1927. Serial No. 196,427.

My invention relates to an interchangeable stone setting for ring topsand the like. i

The object of the invention is the provision of a simple andinexpensive'ring top con- "i; struction for enabling any jeweler to seta stone in a ring securely without any cutting or beading over of themetal, and without the necessity of sendingthe job out to a skilledstone setter, and which will permit it variation in the size of stoneswhich can be used with each size of ring top.

The invention will be best understood from the illustrative embodimentthereof shown in the accompanying drawing, in

which: d

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a ring embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the jewel in its holder, the ring top, andthe nut'for the 2 holder. 1

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3-3, Fig. 1, showing theparts in relation after assembly has been started, but before itscompletion, and 7 Fig.4 is a section on line 4+4, Fig. 1, showing theassembly completed. 7

The ring 10 may be of any construction, so long as it has an opening 12therein for the reception of the ring top of my invention;

.30 Preferably however the jewel holding portion of the ring is ofhollow construction with openingstherethrough, as shown, for permittingaccess of lightto the base or undersurface ofthe jewel.

A ring top in accordance with my invention is designated generally bythe reference 4 character 14:, and comprises a top plate or face plate16 having a central opening 18 therein, with notches 20, 20 formingradial Four of the notch extensions QOare shown, but the number of thesenotches'varies in practice with the shape of the top, as square,hexagonal, octagonal, etc. Depending from the plate 16 3451 of the top14 are side bars 22 of the yoke 24, formed with a hole 26 thereinfinline with the opening 18 in the top plate 16. The top member 14 may besecured in the ring in any desired way, as for example, it may besoldered in place therein by the ring manufac turer. The yoke membersmay be of various forms, that shown being well adapted for permittinglimited vision of the stone from the back. j v

The object which is to be set, as for example a stone 28, is receivedbetween the divergent arms 30, 30 of a spider member indicated generallyby reference character 32, and which in the form shown is constructedfrom a piece of tubing which is out length-' wise at one end and spreadapart to form integral spider arms 30, which are bent over at theirouter ends to form the hooks or beads 30, and has its uncut portion 34threaded to receive the nut 36, and also has the tongues 38 out in theend thereof, opposite the arms 30, for serving as looking members forholding the nut in place. The Ina-- terial at that part of the tubewhich is formed into tongues 38 is preferably trimmed off on the outsideto a depth greater than the depth of the threads in the tube, so thatthe tongues 38 will notbreak oif at the thread roots.

Jewelers carrying in stock rings embodying the top member 14 and also aquantity of the spider members 32 can permit their customers to selectstones for setting therein according to the customers fancy. In setting,the stone 28 selected is merely inserted between the spider arms30 andunder hooks or beads 30 and so held; the stem 34 is inserted through thetwo aligned openings 18 and 26; the nut 36 screwed on the screw-threadedstem 34, thus drawing the arms 30 inwardly in the notch extensions 20provided for their reception and at the same time bringing them closertogether, so that the stone is firmly and securely clamped and held bythe spider in the ring top. After the nut 36 has been screwed up to thedesired extent, it is locked in place by: a locking means, as forexample, by turning the tongues 38 outwardly into' notches 40 providedfor their reception in the surface of the nut 36. It will be seen thatwith spider arms of diiferent thicknesses difierent sizes of stones canbeaccommodated by variation of the extent to which the stones projectabove the top plate 14, a smaller stone being brought down close to thetop plate, and a larger stone projecting further above the top plate.

I may also provide a series of spiders har ing arms of varyingthicknesses, so that the range of stone sizes which can be accommodatedcan be further extended, relatively thin spider arms permitting the useof relatively larger stones and thicker arms being adapted forrelatively smaller stones, as will be obvious. The stone and spidercombination must be sufficiently large to prevent the spider arms 30from being drawn through the plate opening 18;

It will be apparent that the operations involved are all of a simplemechanical nature, and that the complete setting can be made and theappearance vof an expensive hand-beaded setting secured by simplyslipping a stone into a spider, inserting the spider with the stonetherein into the ring top, and applying a nut to the threaded portion ofthe spider, and all these operations are such as can be readily carriedout by a jeweler, or by anyone accustomed to the use of jewelerstweezers, and that by the construction shown, not only is the stonepositively and firmly clamped in place and a great saving secured intime and in convenience of manipulation, but that both stones and ringscan be readily interchanged to suit the fancy and changing tastes ofindividuals. Furthermore by permitting access of light to the inner orunder surface of the jewel, its brilliancy is greatly enhanced.

It will be plain that my invention can be applied to other pieces ofjewelry, as bracelets, etc., and that the foregoing description of itsap lication to a ring is not to limitine to such embodiment. Changes andmodifications which may be made within thescope of my claims areincluded in my invention.

I claim:

1. An interchangeable stone. setting for rings, comprising an aperturedface plate, with notches forming extensions of the aperture therein, ayoke behind said face plate, and side bar members connecting the yoke tothe face plate, an aperture formed in said yoke in line with thefirst-named aperture, but smaller, a jewel holder comprising a tubularmember having integral diverging hooked arms at one end to be receivedin said notches and clamp a jewel in the face plate, the shank forcesaid arms inwardly to increase the grip of the jewel engaging endportions upon the jewel within thevholder.

3'. A ring setting comprising an apertured face plate provided withnotches forming extensions of said aperture, a'jewel holder,

having divergent arms terminating in hooks and positioned within saidface plate with said arms seated insaid notches, a threaded shank onsaid jewel holder, threaded means coacting with said shank whereby upontightening up thereofand consequent progressive movement of said jewelholder into said face plate, said arms are contracted and the endportions increase their grip upon the jewel within the holder, .andlocking tongues on said shank beyond the threaded portion, adapted tolock the threaded means against rotation after the jewel has beensecurely clamped within the holder;

4. A setting for rings comprising a face plate consisting of an upperand a lower part spaced apart and provided with aligned openings, theupper part being provided with notches forming extensions of the centralopening; a jewel-holding spider having a threaded shank at one end anddiverging arms at the other end, said arms terminating in inwardlydirected hook or bead porti'o'ns; the threaded shank of said spiderbeing re' ceived in the lower part of the face plate and the spiderarmsbeingvreceived inthe face plate notches and thereby holding thespider against rotation; and threaded means coacting with the threadedspider shank for exerting a drawing action on the spider.

5. In an article of jewelry, a stationary member for receiving a settinghaving a hole in it and having notches constituting extensions of saidhole,- the lower portion of said member being formed into a yoke; aspider member having a stem, and arms terminating in inwardly directedhook or bead portions; a jewel within the spider member having aperiphery adapted tosubstantially fit the hole in the setting memberwhen the spider arms are received in the aforesaid notches and when thespider is drawn nearly but not entirely through the hole in the settingmem her, the spider member being held against rotation when its arms areseated in said notches; and means on the stem of the spider coactingwiththe yoke of the setting member behind the jewel for, detachably holdingthe spider and stone in place in the setting member, whereby areplaceable setting is provided having substantially the appearance of abox-headed, hand-beaded jewel setting.

6. A jewel setting comprising a body portion having an opening, a jewelsupporting member within said opening and rigidly secured to said bodyportion, said member comprising a face plate forming a part of theexterior surface of the setting and having a central aperture withnotches, a jewel holder separate from said face plate and having a bodyand divergent, integral, flexible jewelholding arms within said notches,and means cooperating with the jewel supporting member and jewel holderfor moving the latter within the former in an axial direction to causethe j ewel-holding arms to press inwardly against the jewel.

7. A jewel setting comprising a body portion having an opening, a jewelsupporting member within said opening and rigidly secured to said bodyportion, said member comprising a face plate forming a part of theexterior surface of the setting and having a central aperture withnotches, a jewel holder separate from said face plate and having a bodyand divergent, integral, flexible ewelholding arms within said notches,and screwthreaded means cooperating with the jewel supporting member andjewel holder for moving the latter within the former in an axialdirection to cause the jewel-holding arms to press inwardly against thejewel.

8. A jewel setting comprising a supporting member having an aperturedface plate adapted to receive the jewel and form' a border about thesame, said face plate having notches extending outwardly from theaperture therein, a separate member adapted to be received within saidfirst named member and having yieldable jewel engaging arms within saidnotches, whereby to permit of the use of the aperture to a maximumextent for receiving the jewel, and whereby to prevent rotation of theinner member, and means at the rear of said face plate cooperating withsaid members for drawingsaid inner member axially relative to the outermember and causing the arms to press inwardly against the jewel.

9. In a jewel setting, a support comprising apertured parallel port-ionsjoined by arms providing apertures therebetween, a jewel holderincluding spaced yieldable arms received within the aperture of one ofsaid portions and having a camming engagement therewith, said yieldablearms serving to retain the ewel within the aperture and providingapertures communicating with the apertures between said first namedarms, the opposite end of the jewel holder extending through the otherapertured portion, and means coacting with the outer side thereof andwith said jewel holder for uniting the parts together, and forcing thearms against the jewel.

11. In a jewel setting, a support consisting of an apertured faceportion for receiving a jewel to form a border therearound and havinginterior camming surfaces, an apertured abutment portion, and armsconnecting the portions to form an open structure, the apertures in saidface and abutment portions being arranged coaxially,a jewel holderhaving yieldable arm's adapted to be received within said face portionand a threaded portion adapted to be received within said abutmentportion, and a nut on said thread ed'portion for exerting a thrust onsaid abutment portion to cause said flexible arms to be moved inwardlyby the action of the camming surfaces.

12. A jewel setting comprising a portion having an opening therein andprovided with notches forming extensions of said opening, a spidermember having yieldable arms terminating in jewel engaging end portions,said arms contiguous to said jewel engaging end portions being adaptedto be received in said notches to hold said spider member againstrotation, said jewel engaging end portions projecting above saidportion, and threaded means upon said spider member for drawing it intosaid portion and clamping the jewel in place by inward movement of saidarms.

13. A jewel setting comprising a member including a face portion and aportion at the rear thereof, said portions having an axial openingtherethrough, said rear portion forming an abutment at the end thereof,and the face portion having notches therein forming extensions of theopening thereof, a separate member received into said opening andincluding a shank portion and yield able arms having jewel engaging endportions, said arms contiguous to said jewel engaging end portions beingadapted to be received in said notches to hold the second named memberagainst rotation, and means coacting with said shank portion and saidabutment for drawing said second named member into said face portion toforce said arms inwardly to grip the jewel.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name hereto.

GEORGE PRUSSIAN.

